1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the improvement of the already existing invention normally known as the hour-glass, in which a glass vessel is used for the measuring of time in which sand, or other appropriate components or substances run from an upper compartment to a lower compartment and the time for these components to run through the compartments equal the amount of time related to the portion of the component being used. By using clear flexible polymer compartments in the basic shape of an hour-glass, or using a similar or like material with flexible properties and the utilization of a form which allows sand, or appropriate like material to run from the upper compartment into the lower compartment of the hour-glass more quickly by pressing on the sides of the hour-glass the flow canal, located in the center of the hour-glass, will open allowing the lower compartment to be filled. The flexible form will then immediately return to it""s original shape once pressure is released, thus, improving the waiting time between uses and the efficiency of the hour-glass.
2. Description of Prior Art
Techniques for measuring time using an hour-glass are accomplished normally using glass molded into the desired shape which allows sand or whatever appropriate substances to travel from the upper compartment to a lower compartment using gravity to pull the sand into the lower compartment through the flow canal which, is a small opening in the center of the hour-glass; between the upper and lower compartments. In order to begin the process of the amount of time it takes the aforementioned substances to travel through the flow canal in the hour-glass, one must wait for the complete transference of the substance in the upper compartment to the lower, as the amount of the material being transferred from the upper compartment to the lower compartment evaluates the exact amount of time the hour-glass is capable of measuring. The above method requires the user to manual turn the hour-glass upside-down to begin the timing process again, which makes the process inoperative for providing an immediate use of the hour-glass as one must always wait for the completion of this transfer from the upper to the lower compartment, and thus, making it time consuming. An advantage of the flexible new design which allows the sand or other substances to be transferred immediately by pressing on the sides of the polymer hour-glass mold and the flow canal, is that on can immediately use the hour-glass without having to wait, as the flexible mold will return to it""s shape once pressure is released. Due to the nonflexibility of glass, or even nonflexible plastic this has previously been impossible to due in prior art functions. A disadvantage of prior art was that many times the hour-glass was stored in a game box or in the kitchen, and would easily fall onto it""s side, which caused the enclosed material which is normally transferred from the upper compartment of the hour-glass to the lower to settle in both compartments. In order to begin using the prior art again one would have to place the hour-glass back into the up-right position and wait for the process of gravitational pull to transfer the sand, or other substance through the flow canal before one could use the hour-glass to get an accurate time. The solution to this age old problem of how to swiftly use an hour-glass, without having to w wait, has probably been a question in the back of the minds of people throughout history and the complacency was that after over a thousand years of using this apparatus with the same principles applying, we became blinded to the answer. This could be due to the fact that in this modern age of technology the use of polymers and like materials instead of glass, is basicly still a new frontier. The advantage of this new method is that one can use the hour-glass without delay, through the employment of modern technology, to provide a source for measuring time, by simply opening the the flexible flow canal and allowing the sand, or other substances to move immediately between the upper and lower compartments and fill the desired compartment as one chooses, providing a more operable hour-glass.
The present invention provides the user an immediate response to clearing the flow canal located between the upper and lower compartments of an hour-glass, so that the user can begin measuring time at the fastest possible speed, anytime, anywhere, in order that one can, for whatever purpose, use the hour-glass without much delay. This new application will help speed up a game which requires an hour glass, or simply prevent the user from waiting to cook an egg, or for whatever purpose one is using the hour-glass in order to measure time more effeciently. This is accomplished by molding clear flexible polymer, or any material with like clearness and flexibility, in the shape of the preferred hour-glass, with the ability and resilience to retain the original shape normally sand, or similar substance is allowed to run through dramatically increasing the time it takes the sand, or like material to flow from the upper compartment of the hour-glass. Thus, expediting the time the user has to wait, while enhancing the properties of the abilities to measure time using an hour-glass with this new application, providing a time saving step for whatever the purpose; from a game, to cooking, or simply a way to evaluate an amount of time.
A more thorough and comprehensive understanding may be had from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when read in connection with the drawings.